CHAMPAIGN – Mayor Jerry Schweighart said it's likely he'll introduce an ordinance at the May 15 city council meeting to immediately repeal the smoking ban in Champaign bars and restaurants.

Schweighart said the fact that the Illinois House and Senate have overwhelmingly approved a statewide ban on smoking in public places, effective Jan. 1, doesn't faze him.

"My inclination is to rescind our city ordinance banning smoking so we go back to the way we were," Schweighart said. "Right now, if we leave it the way it is, our local people will still be losing business. It will give us seven months to have a level playing field."

The Illinois House approved a statewide ban in a 72-43 vote Tuesday. The governor's office said Gov. Rod Blagojevich is likely to sign SB 500.

Schweighart said he will be talking to constituents and bar and restaurant owners during the next two weeks to find out what they want to do. The state legislation is more stringent than the city ordinance, which allows smoking in workplaces and outdoors, even near a business entrance.

Champaign's smoking ban was approved in a 5-4 vote a year ago and went into effect Jan. 31, one month after Urbana implemented a similar ban.

But the most recent city elections on April 17 changed the makeup of the city council. There are now five council members – Schweighart, Karen Foster, Deborah Frank Feinen, Vic McIntosh and Michael La Due – who have publicly said they favor repeal of the ban.

Foster said Tuesday she would "follow the mayor's lead."

Feinen declined comment, except to say she wanted to talk to bar owners affected by the ban.

"I want to find out how they would like us to handle this interim period," she said.

McIntosh said he hasn't made a decision yet, but he has been one of the most vocal opponents against banning smoking in public places.

"I'll meet with the bar owners and see where they think we should go and then I'll meet with the council members and make a decision," he said.

La Due said he would "probably" support repeal.

But council member Tom Bruno said it would be bad public policy to repeal the ban when it would likely have to be reimplemented seven months later.

"It would be a mistake," he said. "What we did originally was the right thing. We placed the health and safety of restaurant workers ahead of the profit motive. To take a step backwards now would be exactly that, a step backwards."

In Urbana, Alderman Charlie Smyth said repealing the ban would be "ridiculous."

"Why bother?" he asked. "You're just putting off the inevitable."

Smyth said he personally is now beginning to frequent bars and coffee shops in Urbana that he had avoided in the past because of cigarette smoke.

"I'm developing new habits," he said. "It's just great to go out and not smell like smoke. I'm going out a lot more."